Geronimo
by Strategically Reckless
Summary: The Avengers were socially awkward with each other, let alone children. Now how do they handle one like this? Clint x Natasha, Thor x Jane, Tony x Pepper
1. Shooting Stars

**Jinx: I fell in love with The Avengers movie, the moment I saw it. I distinctly remember telling my friend in the cinema as well that I would sooooo be writing a fanfic to this.**

**So here it is, go easy on it since i've been reading the other fanfics nd I don't think this one can amount to aanything like those.**

**Disclaiming everything except for my original characters.**

**Plus I created this fanfic just to see the Avengers reaction to a child being in their care. Just some fun.**

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Jumping into cold water with the sun shining upon your face- nothing but the people you love around you. Happiness is just an illusion a weird man told me as I passed him on the street but I can't help but disagree. I felt pretty damn happy with nothing but the wind, the sun and the water. You remember a lot about your life and this was one of the things which I would probably never forget- the beautiful clear water which lapped against the golden sand. Jade, emerald and blues all meshing into a beautiful glass work which rippled between continents. Laying back upon the water, I can feel the waves whip my hair out and no doubt it would look like a golden halo from above. The tide is drawing me out to sea and I feel the sleepiness wash over me like the waves brushing against my fingertips; the sun resting heavily upon my pale skin, I feel nothing but the warmth of the suns kiss as the cool tendrils of water which splash upon to my dried skin. The beach was a great place to go to in our moments of sunshine here in dear ol' Britain.

"Emily!" Of course, sweet serenity must end at some point. Turning myself in the water, my feet brush against the sodden sand which was hidden beneath the navy blue- my hand shielding my eyes from the suns rays as I stare over to the shore. Mum had brought the most garish towel which was a bright pink with orange and green flowers decorating the border. She was in a similar position to me, her shades slid upon her crooked nose and her hand shielding her eyes from the sun. I looked a lot like my mum, people told me but I didn't see it.

"Yea?"

"C'mon, we're going home!" She ruined everything, my Mum did. The first time in three weeks which I had relaxed fully and then she rips me away without any regret. I've always felt so relaxed with water, I spend hours in the bath when I'm allowed to take one; the last time I took a bath, our bathroom got a little bit flooded though it was nothing serious- only ankle deep. My hobbies include swimming, diving and pebble skipping along with dancing in the rain; something which was embarrassingly put onto You-tube by an insect named my little brother. Wading my way to shore, I feel the cold breeze weave through my ankles and cold pellets of water dripping down my back from my drenched golden locks which looked a similar colour to the wet sand which had been attacked by the waves. Grabbing my own sunglasses and my towel- a normal aquamarine colour with no hideous flowers printed upon it- now wrapped around my body, I skipped up to where we parked the car.

"Where's Sam?" Mum asks me, how am I supposed to know what the little brat gets up to in his spare time? No doubt he would be trying to fit in with the older kids and appear cooler than he would ever be in his life time. Then I spotted him, he was on top of the cliff with a group of other kids- some around my age and some even older than that. We're talking ancient people- like sixteen or seventeen year old people. Raising a hand, I cover my eyes to get a good look yet again. He seemed rather... small in comparison. Sam was a midget though, he was four years younger than me. He had to be teeny tiny, even for a seven year old.

"Up there. I'll get him." So I quickly managed to make my way over to the base of the cliff- climbing and heights were not my best point if it didn't include a diving board. So casually walking my way up to the increasing incline- I noticed the gradual change in weather. Life guards were putting out the flags to tell people that the waves were becoming too dangerous, clouds were slowly gathering above our heads and I could have sworn that I felt the first droplet of rain splash upon my already damp scalp. My feet were bare against the gravel of the cliff, as I came to the top I saw the six or seven of them crowded around the edge.

I don't see my brother in that crowd though.

"SAM!"

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Tony was quite happy with his slightly secluded beach, a holiday to Britain with Pepper had been just what they had needed. Reclining in his seat with his sunglasses on- he didn't mind the gentle chatter of people which was further down the shore. He couldn't keep everything to himself despite his selfish childlike need to have everything; or that's what Steve told him at one point anyways. Pepper sat beside him, her nose nestled within a book and a look of relaxation upon her features. Tony knew that she was secretly fretting about the new building work which was happening at that very moment back in Manhattan- with a chuckle, he grabbed his phone from within Peppers bag and dialled an all familiar number.

"Steve here."

"Captain, just wondering if you'd blown up the place yet." Tony muttered humorously, hearing his friends sigh in aggravation he grinned.

"Thor might have knocked a couple of things about by accident, but surprisingly enough we're managing without you." Steve bit back, sarcasm dripping from his words. Tony rolled his eyes behind his tinted shades but took the sarcasm in good humour- he had to, otherwise the Captain would be the living shit out of him no doubt. It wasn't as if Clint or Natasha were playing that game of Tag again- now that, had been a disaster. Tony had mentally memo-ed himself never to bring up favourite childhood games again. Ever.

"Well as interesting as our conversation is- Pepper's begging for attention," Tony lied, watching as his girlfriends head lifted from the book she was reading only to arch an eyebrow at him dangerously. "Yes, _begging_."

Tony could practically hear the smirk upon Steve's lips.

"Well, don't leave her waiting." Tony really wanted to back his words, seeing his girlfriend slowly put her book away and wait upon the chair. Her arms folded over her chest and her eyebrow still arched. He _really_ wished he could take back his words.

"Oh I won't, see you when I get back."

"Good luck Stark."

"I'll need it." Terminating the call, he froze for a moment before the corners of his lips lifted and he tried to smile his way out of it. Pepper was having none of this though, he was going to pay for that comment.

"Begging?" She blurted out, sounding amused but Tony had seen this only once before. If he said one wrong word then she would attack him like a tiger- the Pepper Potts was a deadly creature when provoked; usually going for the weapon of her nails to try and gouge her preys eyes out. She merely shook her head in amusement though, not missing the sigh of relief which escaped Tony's lips as she reached over to grab a different book. Instead, he leaned back once gain- dropping the phone lazily into Pepper's bag once more in an effort to soak up a bit more sun. the heat was unbearable in his shorts and t-shirt but he didn't dare take his shirt off. He still remembered that one little girl which had seen the blue glowing light source on his chest.

"_ALIEN!"_

He'd never shown his chest in public ever since really.

He groaned irritably when the chatter grew louder at the other end of the beach, his eyes sliding over to Pepper who was watching the event down there with rapt attention; her brow furrowed and her book lowered upon her lap. Now he scowled, gently pushing himself up, he saw a group of people stood around the shore watching as a little girl dived from the cliff top. The waves were steadily becoming more vicious and even Tony had noted the gentle shades of grey which were darkening overhead- didn't anyone try to stop the girl?

Pepper had already grabbed her bag and stood besides Tony chair with her towel wrapped around her figure.

"Come on, lets go see what's going on." Pepper said to him, resulting in The Pout. Yes, it needed capital letters it was that common. Rolling her blue eyes at her boyfriend, she grabbed his hand and tugged him up so he was trudging through the sand with her. Tony didn't really mind what was going on, he was on vacation- off the clock, so any accidents were not his problem. As selfish as it was, he needed some time to himself as well. As the came up tot he crust of the crowd, they spotted the girl being pushed onto the shore with the tide and also a little boy on her back.

A woman ran past them, pushing through the crowd and pulling the two kids into what seemed like a bone-crushing hug, both the kids looking a little shaken.

"I can't believe she managed to drag both herself_ and _her brother out of the sea!" One of the gossiping ladies muttered to her friend in front of Tony- both of them nodding in agreement. Tony stared at the tiny girl who had allegedly pulled both herself and her little brother, a seven year old which no doubt added an extra sixty pounds onto her own weight, out of the ocean in the present conditions. Seemed a little fishy, pun unintended.

"Then again, the Abendroth's have always been the weird ones here ain't they?"

As the crowd slowly dispersed, Pepper and Tony were one of the last couple to remain. Most of them being friends which just wanted to wait for the Paramedics to give the kids the all clear. Pepper watched her lover with a cautious eye, there were few times which she saw the workings of his mind but even she could tell the questions which he was asking himself. A puzzle had presented itself and Tony Stark wasn't one to let a puzzle beat him- it was blasphemy! Pepper watched with genuine concern though as the two children were placed upon the ambulance edge and forced to endure a couple of tests, Pepper loved children- she wanted her own in maybe a few years. Though Tony would freak at the mention of anything baby related at the moment- amusement in itself.

Pepper thrust her bag towards Tony, who caught it albeit fumbling for a moment as he watched is girlfriend walk over to the ambulance and crouched down so she was at height with the little girl.

"That was really brave, y'know." Her smile wide and her blues eyes twinkling, she saw the kids hazel eyes sparkle with happiness as she grinned innocently.

"Thank you but it was really scary too so I'm not that brave." The girl shrugged modestly, her hand still clutching her brothers gently as the Paramedic came back and took their temperature. Pepper could hear Tony following her over,standing behind her no doubt looking awkward as ever. Frowning gently, Pepper still had the smile upon her lips.

"Everyone gets scared though, you just learn to overcome it- like you did." She murmured softly, sticking out her hand "I'm Pepper, it's nice to meet you..."

"Emily, Emily Abendroth." Emily said, shaking her hand enthusiastically whilst her little brother cowered behind his older sister- his thumb stuck in his mouth shyly. Pepper waved at him quietly as well, watching as their mother quietly jogged over to where they sat. Pepper smiled at the mother, standing up and leaning against Tony quietly as she watched the mother fuss over her two children.

"It was nice meeting you, Emily." Pepper said, wiggling her fingers as she waved to the little girl who was currently trying to bat her mothers hands away from her curly golden locks. As they walked back over to their private secluded spot, they noted that the chairs had been pre-packed into their car by Pepper's personal assistant- silence clutching to them throughout the walk to the car and also the car ride back to the cottage. Pepper tapped her fingers slowly against the arm rest to an unknown rhythm, her eyes occasionally sliding over to gaze at her lover who was staring out of the window lazily. She sighed, the air hissing through her teeth as she let her hands rest in her lap.

"You're not going to let this go-"

"Nope."

Knew it.

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**Jinx: hope you enjoyed it, Tony bless him- he can be a royal arse or you just wanna hug him till his eyeballs squeeze out. Either way, reveiws are food of lurv- don't forget to feed meh!**


	2. Turn off the lights

**Jinx: Thank you to my two reveiwers- (Tiff I'll huggles you to death when I see you and Zelda12343, thank you! I don't get much helpful critisism so thank you~)- they really helped me in my time of NEED! Yes, since my laptop gobbled up three versions of this chapter I kind of got fed up with writing chapter 2.**

**BUT HERE IT IS!**

**Sorry- no more Avengers other than Tony in this one. **

**Disclaiming everyone but Emily~**

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With the placid white staring back at you, you can feel nothing but irritation seep into your veins as your silence is broken by arguing parents. I kind of knew that no relationship ran perfectly- but no relationship should have designated nights to argue over whatever topic plausible. Somehow, my parents managed to do this every night nearly, a feat which only my grandparents could top since they were old and cranky with having to live with one another. A reasonable explanation, I supposed. Staring at the placid white and having it stare back at you, I felt the irritation flare as Chloe's name was brought up yet again with their pathetic arguments. My older sister decided she didn't want to stay with the parents that argued every night, I couldn't blame her for that and I had tried to stow away in her suitcase the day she went. Unfortunately, I was found before she placed me into the trunk and drove off to London or wherever she went to get away from us- it included a plane I think. Don't get me wrong, I get emails but she kind of left me and Sammy-darling to deal with our parents flaws.

I still think that mum thought she was flawless, Dad was arrogant at certain times and both were extremely rude to people outside of our little circle. It was always Sam or I apologizing for their actions. I was getting pretty sick of it after four years; pushing on five but hey! Who was counting? Rolling over onto my stomach, the disgusting gold floral pattern on my bed making my stomach churn- turning onto my stomach had not been the best idea. It reminded me of the sand which had been at the beach, which indirectly led to the argument my parents were having about my little _stunt_ at the beach. It wasn't even a stunt and I had felt rather indignant about my dad calling it such.

"She shouldn't be able to do that!" I knew I shouldn't, geez, you'd have thought that they may have taken into consideration that I might have been listening but no; I was forced to listen every night at the insults they threw out- whether they be at me or the people I know or my friends. I just sat there and listened, collecting the data in my head and hopefully awaiting my chance for revenge against their misdeeds. Dad was often pointing out my flaws, my weird aspects such as my strength, my stamina or whatever they deemed abnormal. Just because I played a lot of sports they dubbed me the weird one because of the pro's I got from doing sport. Sam would have drowned without me and I didn't hear him singing my praises for saving his favourite child; nothing, nada, zip- not one word. I was forced to go up to my room and listen to the _grown up _conversation which equated to a screaming match which people in China could no doubt hear.

I frowned, glaring stubbornly at a smudge of what seemed to be green paint upon my bed spread- I didn't really want to stay in my room at that moment. I would have escaped to my friend Christie's house but she was away with her Dad on a business trip. Another weird thing about our family other than me, my Dad's job. He doesn't really have one but Mum has a constant flow of money. She once called it "Blood Money" but I didn't get what she meant. Dad used to be a doctor though, he had all kind of medical posters down in his study and dioramas and models of organs; I had only been down there once and I had vowed never to return to the creep an slightly depressing room.

"Well there's a lot she shouldn't be able to do! No one's to blame but you!" I could have covered my ears but I knew they'd pass the walls of my hands, I could have slipped out onto the roof but I might have slipped and fell to my death; fate was leading me to hang out in Chloe's old attic bedroom- the only place which one could get away from the arguing. Rolling off of my bed, I landed with a dull thud upon my floorboard which stunned my parents to silence for just a moment- then their bickering continued. Unable to stop the scowl from forming, I sit up and rub my sore back; it was stupid but an effective way of getting off of the bed- quietly getting to my feet I padded out onto the landing.

"Me! Why am I to blame!" I passed the stairs without a single care in the world and head for the next set, climbing them with no difficult whatsoever. As I came to the top, I saw the four poster bed which Chloe had and grinned. I had been jealous of Chloe's room, her elegant wallpaper, her vanity table and her sophisticated style. Mum had just painted mine yellow and said-

"There, now fuck off." It seriously was what she said. Taking a running jump, I landed on the blissfully comfortable mattress and the best part, it was silent. My hair was all tangled and I no doubt had trekked mud up both sets of stairs, across the landing and in both Chloe and my own room. I might have even got a nice night of sleep, Sam's footsteps coming up the stairs- obviously having resorted to the same lengths which I had gone to. He laid down next to me on the bed, silent as ever with a cheeky smile upon his lips which served to annoy me out of my wits. Sam was referred to as Mini-Emily since we could have passed for twins without the age difference- sandy blond hair, hazel eyes, kind of tanned skin. The only difference was height and the fact that his hair was straighter and easier to manage whilst mine was like a bush at times- wild and curly.

"So, I hear you have super strength." He blurted out randomly making me cough, that cough turned into laughter as I stared at him incredulously. With a raised eyebrow he could only shrug in return, we both turned onto our backs once more and resumed our favourite pass-time of glaring at the ceiling as the faint murmur echoed within the rafters of the attic. Mum and Dad never really argued to an extent which the police had been called but they might have had to because with the way I was feeling, I might kill them both. I rolled onto my stomach and stared at the chocolate brown bed spread of a moment before shuffling to stare at the floor of the opposite side of the bed- hoping to glare through the floor and throw something at my parents head.

"You know…" Sam trailed off mischievously, swiping a lock of blonde out of his hazel eyes "Mum and Dad won't notice if we jump on the bed."

"I like the way you think."

* * *

He stared at the screen with his brow furrowed, his fingers skidding across the monitor at a vast speed- searching, always searching for that one little fact; that one little key which would open the door and give him the answers. He didn't like puzzles, one of the reasons why he wasn't the best toddler to play with in fear of coming off with a bruise or a bite mark or two. Grimacing at that line of thought, he slid the birth certificate away and stored it for later use, heading to her medical records to see what use they could be to him. The words _Emily Abendroth _scrawled neatly at the top of each form. Rubbing his eyes, he stared at the bright screen for a couple more seconds before repeating the action. He was beat. Waking up after an hour of sleep with the niggling sensation of the puzzle he hadn't solved, scouring through database after database for the information which he needed. So far, everything was consistent- she was born with asthma which was a severe case leading to a lack of physical strength and stamina throughout her early life. Contradicting the events which had happened nearly two days ago.

He just kept reading though, his eyes silently devouring the information and locking it away for when he could use it next. She had a few allergies, a couple of minor incidents- on which included a swing, a dog and some mushy peas which had quite a hilarious write up- but other than that she had been a healthy little girl par from the asthma. Her asthma was said to be life long, something which the doctors warned her only to be proved wrong because in her fifth year the asthma faded. It also gave Tony the lead which he needed. In her fifth year, everything changed about the girl - her stamina, physical strength, her abilities changed over the winter holidays and she returned to her school only to puzzle her Physical Education teacher with the transformation.

Not only was her change odd, her family history wasn't the greatest either- what? Including two mad scientists, rival countries falling in love, he grimaced once again around the mug of his coffee; the burning black liquid pouring down his throat and refreshing him for the time being.

"Sounds like the sappy romantic stuff Pepper would read," he muttered to himself, a small smile curling his lips at the thought of the red head which was snoozing lightly in the bedroom behind him- the creak of the door contradicting that as her warm hands gripped his shoulders, her arms wrapping around his neck. Her breath tickling the nape of his neck as she peered past his head and glanced at the documents upon the screen.

"Hm, I heard my name." Her tone faintly amused and slightly drowsy, Tony smiled fondly as he caught her hand in his- stroking her knuckles with his thumb gently as his eyes skimmed through her family tree in front of him. He could hear his girlfriends breathing hitch and he knew which paragraph she was reading, his hand squeezing hers gently in comfort.

"Does she know _any _of this?" Pepper asked, sounding slightly breathless and panicky as she read further along the Grandfathers biography- a well known wanted war criminal which had dropped of the radar after Hydra's defeat, known for his extreme beliefs and his charismatic influence upon people. Her grandmother being a German refugee which had snuck into England after the second world war. The list just kept flowing till Pepper read about Emily's parents; _**Her father had supposedly conducted several experiments upon himself, altering his genetic structure to fit a super soldiers and yet no visible signs appeared- this was dismissed as merely a rumour**_. The possibility of breathing seemed to leave Pepper as she thought of that little girl, her father could have experimented on her or her siblings- so many thoughts were running through her head at that point.

"The change happened a little over two year ago now," he muttered quietly, the silence suffocating them both as they stared at the screen together.

"Well… now that the puzzle's solved," Pepper whispered "Are you going to get Fury involved."

"Have to, her Dad's a wanted criminal- so is her Grandfather," Tony muttered, shutting his eyes just for a moment before shaking his head as if it would shake the sleepiness. Pepper smiled, ducking her head so her chin landed upon his shoulder as Tony closed down everything which was on the screen- closing her eyes she just stood there for a moment, relishing in the silence which she wouldn't get when they went back to Stark Tower.

"Well, Mr Stark, since it is-" She roughly lifted one of his arms and peered at the watch "-three in the morning, I think we should go back to sleep, don't you?"

"If you insist." he said exasperatedly, sighing dramatically and swinging both of them round- heading to the bedroom where a nice soft warm bed awaited him.

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**Jinx: Mou, I hope you liked it since I spent like, a week on this. Reveiws would be nice and juicy and delicious please~ Any constructive critisism would be greatly appreciated as well, Merci**


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